U.S. Pushes Cuba to Abandon Socialism

(MENAFN) American officials have pushed Cuba to abandon its socialist economic model in favor of a market-driven system and to pay reparations to US citizens and corporations whose properties were expropriated in the 1960s, according to reporting by multiple US news outlets Friday and Saturday, drawing on sources with direct knowledge of the discussions.

A US State Department delegation laid out these demands during a visit to Havana late last week — the first such trip since 2016 — as Cuba buckles under crippling fuel shortages and widespread power blackouts triggered by restrictions on oil deliveries imposed by President Donald Trump.

Washington reportedly pressed Havana to pursue sweeping economic reforms, broaden its private sector, open its doors to foreign investment, and free political detainees. The New York Times reported that US officials further floated the prospect of introducing Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service to the island, paired with a push for unrestricted digital access.

Axios reported that Washington also pressed for expanded political freedoms, ultimately culminating in "free and fair elections." The outlet cited a US official as warning that "the island's ruling elites have a small window to make key US-backed reforms before circumstances irreversibly worsen."

Senior State Department official Michael Kozak publicly confirmed Thursday that the US is actively pushing for "drastic reforms" in Cuba. Trump, who had previously floated the threat of invasion against the island, appears to have moderated his tone in recent weeks, signaling that Washington may be willing to help Cuba navigate its mounting economic woes.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, speaking to media on Saturday, made clear that Havana harbors no fear of armed confrontation with Washington, while insisting that Cuba remains willing to engage in dialogue — strictly on equal terms and free from any form of external pressure.

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